Tape



.tape, the electrician unrolls the desired length of Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES Walter E. Stephenson, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application May 26, 1941, Serial No. 395,146

Claims.

, The present invention relates to improvements in adhesive tapes of the type used by electricians for the insulation of wire joints, and of the type used by doctors and surgeons for their work. I

As heretofore made, electricians tape, which is commonly known as friction'tape, rubber gum tape and ordinary surgical fadhesive tape has consisted of a cotton or other fabric cloth, impregnated with an asphaltic or rubber containing compound having insulating and/or adhesive qualities. Time studies of electricians work has indicated that approximately 90% of the electrical wire joints maybe taped expeditiously by use of tape strips from M, inch to several inches wide, usually inch wide and from 3 to 6 inches long and it has been the desire of conscientious electricians to improve the time necessary for their work by utilizing tape strips of such length.- In using ordinary tape and then tears the tape transversely to sever the piece for use, and in order to do this quickly, the tape must have a sufficiently low strength to make the tearing possible.

Likewise, in using ordinary surgical adhesive can be bnoken or torn only with difficulty, and since adhesive tape is usually strong, it is customary to sever the same byusing a knife, scissors, .or some other cutting implement.

. In the making of electricians friction tape par- 3 fabric is increased the difficulty of tearing the tape during use likewise increases, with the result that it is frequently impossible for an elec- ,trician to tear off a length of tape without first cutting the edge of the tape or 'utilizinga knife or shear for the cutting operation instead of tearing it off. When this is done, the labor cost 10f electrical installation is greatly increased, and high strength tape becomes undesirable.

provided an improved friction or adhesivev tape in which a tape fabric of any desired high strength may be used and at the same time the -tape is so constructed that it may easily be torn 5 tape it is commonly an experience that the tape 40 for the tape but when the strength of the tape According to the present invention, there is off in short lengths for use during taping of wire joints.

It is accordingly an object of the invention in providing a frictionor adhesive tape capable of easily being torn off during use. It is more-spe cifically an object of the invention to provide an electricians friction tape or surgical adhesive tape of high strength fabric and provided with weakened places along one or both edges of the tape to facilitate the starting of the tear across the tape.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a packaged roll of adhesive tape of either the electrical or surgical variety having one or more radial cuts or grooves on one or both faces thereof so as to provide tear starting notches or weakened places at spaced intervals in the tape along the edges of the tape as it is unrolled during use.

I Other and further objects are those inherent in the invention herein illustrated, described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing in which Figure 1 is an isometric view of a roll of friction or adhesive tape illustrating an exemplary form of the invention.

' Figure 2 is an isometric view of a roll of friction or adhesive tape illustrating another ex emplary form of the invention.

0 According to customary method of forming electricians or surgical adhesive tape, a sheet of cotton or linen fabric from 36 to 54 inches wide is first impregnated by passing the web of material through one or more impregnating baths during which the impregnating medium is applied to one or both surfaces of the web." The thus impregnated web may then be passed through squeezing rolls or over scraping edges to remove excess impregnating material and it ,is then wound upon a cardboard tube carried by 'a winding mandrel. The tape is then, in some instances, seasoned by controlled time and temperature operations and is thereafter cut into strips of predetermined width.

after being. cut in strips of predetermined width or during the cutting operation is provided with transverse side cuts or weakened places along the marginal edges of the tape strip. The cuts or weakened places along the marginal edge may be on one or both sides and are spaced at intervalsalong the tape edges.

In Figure 1 there is illustrated a roll of tape generally designated Ill which may be either friction or adhesive tape which is already 1m,-

According to the present invention, the tape,

.grooves I! and used for surgical purposes.

pregnated. It consists of a strip of cotton, linen, or other woven or knitted textile fabric l I, which is impregnated or covered on one or both sides with asphaltic or rubber containing insulating material in the case of electricians tape friction tape or rubber gum tape, or a non-drying, sticky gum, where the tape is used for surgical purposes.

In the ordinary friction or surgical adhesive tapes, the weave'of the tape is usually arranged so that the warp threads run lengthwise of the tape strip and the weft threads run crosswise of the fabric, although in some instances a bias weave or knitted weave is utilized where the tape is for electrical insulating purposes. In the improved electricians friction tape or surgical tape of the present invention as shown in Figure 1, the roll generally designated 10 likewise-consists of the tape strip II in which the warp threads run lengthwise of the strip and the weft threads run crosswise although it will be understood that a bias or knitted weaves may also be used. At spaced intervals along the edges of the tape, there are provided weakened places l5 and Hi.

In the modification shown in Figure 1, the weakened places I5 and 16 are made by sawing or otherwise forming radial grooves H in one face of the tape roll and a corresponding radial groove l8 in the opposite face of the tape roll,

the grooves I! and I8 being oriented at right angles to each other so as to provide relatively evenly spaced alternate notches l5 and IS in the tape as it is unwound from the roll. The spacing between any two successive notches l5 and I6 is substantially equal and is determined by the orientation of the grooves l1 and I8. If desired, uneven spacing may be used. It is to be understood, of course, that one or more radial grooves I! may be provided in each face so as to supply the desired number of weakened places l5 and I6 along the tape edge, the number of I8 being dependent upon the size of the tape roll that is packaged for marketing.

As usually packaged, electrical tape is approximately of an inch wide and is wound upon a cardboard tube l9 upon a winding mandrel, the tube having a diameter of 1 inches to 2 inches, the outer diameter of the roll being from 4 to 5 inches. In this size of tape roll, a single diametrical groove l'l-IT (i. e. two radial grooves) on one face and a single diametrical groove lB-IB i. e. two radial grooves) on the other face, oriented at right angles to the groove I1 is normally sufficient and provides a space of approximately 3 to 3 inches between the notches l5 and I6 for the outer turns'of the tape in the roll with a gradually diminished space for the inner turns of the roll. For the innermost turns of a'roll wound on a 1 inch cardboard mandrel, the spacing is approximately 1 inches between successive notches l5 and I6. However, the user of such electrical tape may tear off a strip equal to two or more of the units of length defined by the successive notches where longer lengths of tape are desired. I

In the modification shown in Figure 2, there is illustrated a roll of tape, generally designated 20,

which is of the woven textile type described'with reference to Figure 1. The tape 2i of the roll is covered with adhesive insulation material,

where the tape is used for electrical purposes or with non-drying sticky gum where the tape is In one face of the tape roll, there are provided radial grooves 22-22 and 23-23 of V-cross section, grooves 22-22 being spaced at approximately right angles with respect to the grooves 23. The grooves may conveniently be made by an appropriately shaped gouge or cutter operating along the face of the tape roll. While only two radial grooves 22 and two radial grooves 23 are illustrated, it is obvious that a lesser or greater number may be provided if desired. The effect of the grooves is to provide spaced notches 25 along one edge of the tape, which serve to facilitate tearing of the tape at such notches, even where a tape fabric of great strength is used.

In either of the modifications shown in Figures 1 and 2, the user may grip the roll of tape and easily tear off the tape at any of the notches 15 or IE, for the type shown in Figure 1, or at any of the notches 25, for the type shown in Figure 2. The spaced grooves I1 and I8 of Figure 1, or 22 and 23 of Figure 2 serve as a visible indicia which facilitate tearing of the tape.

The tape roll provided with tear starting grooves, notches or cuts, herein illustrated, is especially desirable for surgeons and electricians working under diflicult conditions. Thus, an electrician working on energized lines, using gloves, and under cold windy conditions, has heretofore been unable to tear the tape expeditiously as needed. This difiiculty is overcome when using tape made in accordance with the present invention. Likewise, a surgeon or physician working without nurse aid may conveniently tear off the desired tape lengths, where utilizing tape made according to the present invention.

The tape roll is packaged by wrapping in tin foil or by placing in metal tins or on metal reels.

This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 289,156 filed August 9, 1939.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the materials, compositions and modes of procedure herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, some of the features of which are defined in the appended claims, as follows.

I claim as my invention:

1. An improved roll of tape of the surgical or electrical varieties comprising a substantially circular roll of woven textile fabric having a continuous coating of adhesive thereon, said roll having fiat parallel faces and being provided with a radial cut into a face thereof, said out extending from the central portion of the tape roll to the periphery thereof and being of a depth sufficient to provide tear-starting places along an edge of the tape as the tape is unwound from the roll.

2. An improved roll of tape of the surgical or electrical varieties comprising a substantially circular roll of woven textile fabric having a continuous coating of adhesive thereon, said roll having flat parallel faces and being provided with radial cuts in said opposite faces, said cuts extending from the central portion of the roll to the periphery thereof and being of a depth sufficient to provide tear-starting places along opposite edges of the tape as the tape is unwound from the roll, the cuts in opposite faces of the tape being in planes substantially at right angles to each other.

3. An improved roll of tape of the surgical or electrical varieties comprising a substantially circularroll-of woven textile fabric having a continuous coating of adhesive thereon, said roll 4. A roll of tape of the type set forth in claim having flat parallel faces, and being provided 3 wherein the cut is a saw out part way through with a radial cut of readily visible width in a the 1-011 from one face to the other.

' face thereof, said out extending from the central 5. A roll of tape of the type set forth in claim portion of the tape roll to the periphery thereof 5 3 wherein the cut is a groove wider at the top and being of a depth sufficient to provide readily I than at the bottom and part way through the visible tear-starting notches along an edge of roll from one face to the other.

the tape as the tape is unwound from the roll. WALTER E. STEPHENSON. 

